Table of Contents
Definition of Singular They
(noun) A gender-neutral pronoun used for an individual who does not adhere to the gender binary or used to promote gender-neutral language.
Singular They Pronunciation
Syllabification: sin·gu·lar they
Audio Pronunciation
Phonetic Spelling
- American English – /sIng-gyuh-luhr THAY/
- British English – /sIng-gyu-luh THAY/
International Phonetic Alphabet
- American English – /ˈsɪŋgjələr ðeɪ/
- British English – /ˈsɪŋgjʊlə ðeɪ/
Usage Notes
- Singular they is used where possible throughout the dictionary and other neutral terms such as partner.
- Their, them, and they can all be used as a singular they.
Related Videos
Additional Information
Related Terms
Cite the Definition of Singular They
ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2015. “singular they.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/singular-they/).
APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)
singular they. (2015). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/singular-they/
Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)
Bell, Kenton, ed. 2015. “singular they.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed September 17, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/singular-they/.
MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)
“singular they.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2015. Web. 17 Sep. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/singular-they/>.